FSU Notebook: Basketball, Baseball and Tennis

Jul. 17, 2013

Written by

Perry Kostidakis

Sports Editor @perrykos

-Florida State men’s basketball will play against VCU in the first round of the 2013 Puerto Rico Tip Off on November 21, for the first time since the Rams took down the Seminoles in the Sweet 16 in 2011. Last year, FSU won the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in New York, as well as the 2008 Global Sports Classic in Vegas and the 2009 Old Spice Classic in Orlando.

The tournament will allow the nation to see how the 2013-2014 Seminoles will hold up, as the game will be nationally televised on ESPNU.

Other teams in the tournament include Northeastern, Kansas State, Charlotte, Georgetown, Long Beach State and championship game participant Michigan, with the latter two teams awaiting FSU in the second round.

-Three FSU women’s tennis players will participate in the 2013 Fed Cup in Santa Tecla, El Salvador, representing their individual countries. Junior Kerrie Cartwright will be there in representation of the Bahamas as well as former ’Nole Francesca Segarelli, both will be playing in the Cup for the fifth time. Alumnus Carolina De Los Santos will be playing in the Cup for Uruguay for the second time.

-The Florida State women’s basketball team is headed on a Euro trip, with the squad traveling to both Senegal and Italy as part of a tour presented by Nike.

“We are super excited and very thankful to Nike for sponsoring our trip,” Florida State head coach Sue Semrau said. “These foreign tour trips are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for our student-athletes and I’m so glad that we can provide this experience at FSU. We have a lot of new pieces on our team for the upcoming season and this will allow us to bond as players and a staff while playing games, giving back and seeing some incredible sites. Senegal has some breathtaking areas and a very powerful history, while Italy will give our players an opportunity to see some of the world’s most beautiful art, museums and architecture.”

The ’Noles will face off against Senegal’s national team, as well as the Italian Select team and the Chemcats Chemnitz. They will also be involved in several community service projects, in addition to touring classic structures like the Academia Gallery in Florence and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

-Former and current Seminole baseball players are continuing their presence in summer leagues, those of which include pitchers Brandon Johnson and Brandon Leibrandt, who have been pitching for the Alexandria Blue Anchors and Brewster Whitecaps respectively. Johnson has a 1-0 record, one save and a .71 ERA, giving up one run all season with opponents only hitting .191 against him. As for Leibrandt, on July 9 he pitched seven innings, giving up four hits and a walk with no runs.

Freshman Kenny Burkhead was elected to the North All-Star team for the Florida Collegiate League, striking out two in one inning during the FCL All-Star Game. On the season, he is 2-1 with a 3.64 ERA for the Sanford River Rats.